


A Case of Karnsteins

by ZahlzStar



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dark, F/F, F/M, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2015-12-08
Packaged: 2018-03-04 08:17:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3036308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZahlzStar/pseuds/ZahlzStar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It just so happens that in 1680 the Karnstein family was blessed with twins, Mircalla and Miricas Karnstein.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Familiar Face

"Oh shoot," I mutter as I pat my hands around, searching all of my pockets.

"What's the matter Cupcake?" Carmilla asks when she notices my movements and I look at her rather sheepishly.

"I think I left my phone back in the room,"

"Would you like me to go and get it for you?" Carmilla asks with a sigh.

"Thanks Carm," I flash her a smile and without another word but another definite sigh Carmilla heads off towards the dorm.

I'm just about to lean against a nearby tree to wait for her when I'm startled by a voice, "It's a lovely night tonight, don't you think?"

I jump a foot at the sudden noise and I'm pretty sure I just squeaked but I'm too busy looking at the currently smirking guy that is leaning on the side of the tree.

"Holy crapsticks, where the hell did you come from?" I exclaim and the guy lets out a small chuckle.

"Surely someone has had the Birds and Bees talk with you by now, Little One?" The guy mocks me in a decidedly condescending tone.

"I know where babies come from; I meant where did you come from. You basically appeared out of nowhere, I think you damn near gave me a heart attack as well," I huff and he laughs again and pushes off the tree, beginning to bridge the gap between us.

"I think you'll find I was here first actually, but you're right I probably should have made myself known. I apologize for giving you a fright," The guy still has a teasing look on his face but he seems sincere enough. At this point he is only about a step away from me, with his hands in his pockets and a smirk firmly situated on his face. He's standing close enough to me that under normal circumstances it would be making me ridiculously uncomfortable but for some reason his presence isn't setting off alarm bells. Each time he smirks at me I feel the strangest sensation of familiarity but I can't for the life of me place where I possible could have seen him before.

"Have we met before? You look so familiar," I ask and the guy tilts his head a little bit.

"No, I haven't had the pleasure of making your acquaintance, but I most definitely know why you would think so. In fact I imagine she will be making an appearance very soon,"

Before I even have the chance to comprehend the entirety of what he just said there is a flash of dark clothing and the guy in question is slammed against the tree by a blur of fangs and leather.

"Carm," I start, ready to try and dissuade Carmilla from dismembering this guy, but apparently there is no need.

Just as quickly as she had appeared Carmilla had released the guy and taken a step back before asking in bewilderment, "Cas?"

"I see you still know how to make an entrance Mir," the guy straightens his shirt and smirks at Carmilla.

"Cas!" Carmilla lets out a giddy laugh of excitement and launches herself at the guy, wrapping her arms around him. The guy returns her hug and even spins Carm around a few times, their happiness is contagious and I can't help but smile.

When the two finally break apart Carm turns to me, "Cupcake, I'd like you to meet my twin brother, Miricas. Cas, this is my girlfriend Laura,"

"It's a pleasure to meet you properly, Little One. But my name's actually Samiric, Sam for short," Sam responds, turning his attention to Carm for the second part.

"Samiric?" Carm ask as if she is rolling it around her tongue in order to adjust to it.

"I thought I'd follow your example with the whole anagram thing, I was even Casimir for a few decades," Sam explains.

"That explains why you seemed so familiar, you guys are twins. Wait, how are you even here? Did you both become vampires when Carm did; is that some sort of weird twin vampire thing?" I ask, and as I speak my mind is coming up with scenario after scenario to explain this.

"She talks quite a lot doesn't she?" Sam asks and Carm responds with a laugh,

"You have no idea."

After a series of rambling Carmilla convinces me that we should go back to the room before we try to explain things and that I should text Laf and Perry to let them know that something had come up and we couldn't meet them.

"Okay, we are back in the room, will you answer my questions now?" I ask impatiently and Carmilla hands me my tardis mug full of hot chocolate and hands Sam a glass of blood.

"Okay, fire away Cupcake," Carm says after taking a seat on her bed while Sam rolls around a little bit on my desk chair.

"I think the most pressing question is how have you never mentioned you had a twin? Not warning me of the threat of two pairs of Seduction Eyes is just cruel," I say and gesture towards Sam, who is in the process of eating my cookies and is looking far from seductive.

"Well, it-" Carm starts but is interrupted by the door opening and as she settles a death glare towards Laf and Perry, Sam speaks.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you it's polite to knock?"

Carm lets out a bitter little laugh, "It's a rarity in this place, trust me,"

"Uh Laura, who's this?" Perry asks after noticing Sam.

"This is Sam, Carmilla's brother," I respond and Perry lets out a small noise of surprise.

"Sam, this is Perry and Lafontaine," I introduce the two of them respectively and Lafontaine steps closer to Sam.

"You guys are crazy similar in appearance, identical twins?" They ask and Sam nods his head after glancing at Carm who is sprawled on her bed clearly ready to ignore this entire conversation.

"Makes sense, Carmilla is still slightly better looking but I can definitely see it. Are you a vampire too? You'd kind of have to be considering that you two would have been born like 300 years ago. Would you be open to giving a few samples?" Laf is clearly forgetting that they only just met Sam a minute ago.

"Lafontaine, you are being rude," Perry reprimands after clearing her throat to get Laf's attention.

"It's quite alright, I'm sure she meant no offense," Sam responds.

"They," Perry corrects without missing a beat and there is a moment of silence.

"My apologies, I'm sure  _they_  meant no offense," Sam replies with a sincere smile and both Laf and Perry let out a breath of relief.

"Now that introductions are over, Carm would you mind starting your story again," I ask and Carm raises a brow at me but sighs and sits up.

"Alright, let's try this again shall we?"


	2. Another Tragic Back Story

"It just so happens that in picturesque Styria, 1680, the Karnstein family were blessed with twins. Mircalla and Miricas Karnstein," Carmilla waves her hand in brief gesture towards her brother and herself. 

"We were inseparable, recognized by all and known for our ability to cause mischief, always harmless fun of course," Carmilla and Sam share a look before she continues. 

"When we came of age the two of us attended a ball, unfortunately there happened to be some rather unfriendly party goers and that same night later came to be known as the night the Karnstein twins were murdered," Carmilla has a far away look in her eyes and a glance at Sam further reinforces the fact that the two are twins. 

"It's safe to say that night was not a pleasant one," Sam adds and Carmilla mades a small noise of agreement.

"Anyway, Mother soon found us. At the time she seemed like a saviour sent from above and as she showed us the marvels of the world we became more and more entranced by the life she had presented us with. The world was ours to do whatever we desired, and we were happy. I was content with my infatuation with the stars and my brother was content with his plans to travel and his pursuit of furthering his skills in the Arts. At least until Mother decided it was time for us to fulfil our original purpose," Carmilla's tone is soft and she appears to be lost in the memories.  
"Mother began our conditioning, testing our skills and deciding what our roles would be when it came time to complete 'a grand ritual'. At first it seemed like another new adventure, a chance to make friends to join us in our endeavours. Until we discovered the true intentions behind this 'grand ritual', the darker aspects we never before deemed necessary to consider," Carmilla's tone turned darker and Sam appeared to be becoming more restless. 

"The roles Mother had given us were intended to be simple, I was assigned the role of getting close to the targets and Sam was to be the means of transporting our targets to the assigned location. Quite simply, I was to be the lure and Sam was to be the muscle," Carmilla pulls us all further into the story and I can't help but fear the end result of this story. Simply telling me her own seemed difficult but this story feels like it holds much more pain than that night in the dorm when we still believed Carmilla was some blood-sucking fiend. 

"The time came when we were sent out to begin working our first target, by the end of it Mother was rather conflicted. On the one hand Mother was pleased with my performance, showering me with praise became a common occurence. Miricas on the other hand," 

Before Carmilla can continue Sam cuts her off and continues the story. 

"Mother couldn't express her disappointment in enough ways upon discovering that I didn't have the stomach to 'do what was necessary'. I couldn't bring myself to take the girl when the time came, so I let her go. Mother deemed me a failure, and she took great pleasure in reminding me. She decided that simply beating me herself wasn't a great enough punishment, so she forced Mircalla to do it. I didn't hold it against my sister of course, Mother made it quite clear that should she refuse then Mircalla would have joined me in my punishment, though the beating would have been twice as severe. So Mircalla did as she was told, and I endured my punishment. At least I thought I did, until Mother entered the room in which I was being kept, dragging our former target by her hair. 

"The girl was 'no longer fit for the ritual' and Mother gave us the choice of 'disposing of her' or facing another lesson in obedience and responsibility. Mircalla was prepared to do what was asked, if only to spare us from further suffering. But I couldn't let her take that girl's life in my place, so upon Mother releasing me from my chains I did what was asked," Sam's voice wavers slightly and he pauses for a moment.

"After that I was plagued by my guilt, I had very little appetite and what little sleep I managed was restless and ultimately exhausting. The entire ordeal just further reinforced the knowledge that I was not made for this wretched life our Mother had exposed us to. Mother soon sent us after new targets and as much as I hated it, I knew that the punishment would be far worse if I were to disappoint her again. So I did as I was asked, but I delayed progress whenever I could. Small revenges, I suppose. Until I was caught in the act," 

Throughout his story Sam was becoming more and more upset, it's clear to see that bringing up these memories were taking their toll. Sam stops speaking all together and he looks entirely vulnerable, his eyes are far away and his hands are clenching and fidgeting roughly against his jeans. 

I'm about to tell him that he can stop if he needs to but Carmilla reaches over and grasps his hand in hers. Sam tenses at the contact initially but immediately begins to relax and squeeze Carmilla's hand in return as she continues where he left off. 

"I knew that if Mother discovered that Sam was consciously trying to delay our progress that the consequences would be far greater than before, so I remained silent about what I had caught him doing and we continued with our target as planned. In light of his previous disappointments, Mother saw it necessary to recruit another 'son' to aid in our preparation for the ritual. As much as we tried to welcome Will, he always believed that we were failing to realize how lucky we were to be Mother's favourites. He strived to rise into Mother's good graces and it turned out that the knowledge that the prodigal son was deliberately working against the 'grand ritual' was just the ticket William needed. Mother was furious when she found out, the punishment Miricas would have received would have been far greater than just a simple beating. So I begged her to spare him, I begged her and I offered her my eternal service. I swore that if she were to spare Miricas that I would serve her without question for as long as she wished. And she agreed," 

"But not before beating me to the brink of a mortal's life and releasing me into the night. I doubt Mother would have told Mircalla this but she informed me that if I were to show my face again. She promised that she would slaughter Mircalla and the entirety of whatever town they inhabited at the time without a second thought. I would be forced to serve her once more, only this time I wouldn't have my 'dear little scapegoat to protect me'. So I ran, for decades I stayed far away but after a time the urge to watch over and protect my sister grew too strong. I returned and though I remained out of sight I learnt of Mircalla's 'betrayal'. My dear sister had fallen in love and attempted to run away, hoping to escape the dreadful existence we had been brought into by the woman we had once called Mother,"  
At the mention of Ell, Carmilla's gaze flicked up to mean mine and I saw a genuine fear in her eyes. In an attempt to comfort her I give her a small smile and relief washes over her. 

"I suppose Mother decided that the punishment once reserved for me shouldn't go to waste. Mircalla had been buried for two decades by the time I returned home and Mother had gone to great lengths to ensure that she kept Mircalla's location a secret. She saw to it that sheer amount of her minions would keep me at bay," 

At the mention of the coffin Carmilla tenses and drops Sam's hand, even now after decades if freedom she hasn't completely gotten over that damn coffin. 

"If I had know where she had you I would have come for you without a second thought, Mir, minions be damned," Sam voice took on a tone that left no doubt that he spoke the truth. 

"I know, Cas," Carmilla responds quietly and I almost walk over to try and comfort her but Sam begins to speak once more. 

"I left once again for fear of Mother finding me, but the second I caught word of a Karnstein in Styria I came back. I've been watching over you since then, I even took to watching over the little one," Sam looks at me with a hint of a smile and it's the first trace of humour since the story began. 

"I'll admit I am rather concerned about her sugar intake though," Sam adds with a full smile this time and Carmilla looks up at me, her gaze softening. 

"So I watched and I waited, praying that some great miracle would occur that would finally allow me to return to my sister's side. I have entertained countless scenarios in my mind but I can honestly say that I never expected the catalyst of my salvation to be a tiny 19 year old girl," Sam looks at me with nothing but gratitude and I feel a blush begin to warm my cheeks.

"You and me both, brother," Carmilla's voice is far from her usual rasp and the look of adoration she gives me is so clear that even I have no doubt of its authenticity. 

"Once it was confirmed that Mother was gone for good I knew it was finally time to come home, so here I am," Sam concludes and the atmosphere in the room begins to return to normal.

"Well, that was quite a story. Would anyone like some hot chocolate?"  
It's the first time Perry has spoken but her offer is so 'Perry' that a few laughs sound in the room.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to make some hot chocolate now," Perry speaks more to herself than anyone else this time.


	3. Stellar Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The giants of the Scooby Gang meet the new arrival.

True to her word Perry hands out mugs of hot chocolate to everyone and the room is filled only by the sound of quiet sips as we all sit in silence. At least for a solid 30 seconds before the door bursts open to reveal a concerned Danny, followed closely by Kirsch. I hear Carm mumble something about needing to install a deadbolt as she sets her mug down and turns to address the new arrivals. 

“Why hello Gigantor, to what do we owe the displeasure?”   
Danny’s eyes narrow at but she ignores Carmilla and turns to me, “A few of the girls on campus have reported seeing a creeper hanging around the dorm and I wanted to come and check in on you guys,” 

“Okay, but why is Kirsch here?” I ask as Kirsch accepts a mug of hot chocolate from Perry, who no doubt began making it as soon as she noticed we had more visitors. 

“Well, upon hearing the word ‘creeper’ I immediately went to the Zeta house to find out which sleazy frat boy needed to be reminded of his manners. Knucklehead over here was adamant that the Zetas had nothing to do with it, he insisted that he come with me to sort this out,” Danny explains and Kirsch nods in agreement before speaking. 

“It’s my duty as a Zeta to ensure that all the hot-”, a glare from Danny stops Kirsch mid sentence and he corrects himself as he continues, “all the students at Silas are safe and secure on campus. Wait, who the hell is this guy?” Kirsch points his mug at Sam at the same time Danny notices there is an extra person in the room. 

“The creeper,” Carmilla deadpans and I elbow her in the side before introducing Sam.  
“This is Carmilla’s biological brother, Sam.”

I look over expecting Sam to continue the introduction on his own but he has a sort of dumbstruck look on his face, his gaze locked on Danny. 

Carmilla rolls her eyes and kicks Sam’s leg, breaking him from whatever trance he was in. He doesn’t look away though but simply snaps into speech, “Yes, me Sam. I Sam. Christ, I’m Sam. Um, hi,” 

It’s almost painful to watch the formerly calm and collected vampire turn into a bumbling idiot and I’m having the strong urge to cover my eyes. Carmilla on the other hand is openly laughing, Danny has a perplexed look and an amused smile on her face, while Kirsch appears to be puffing his chest in the corner. Lafontaine has a similar reaction to Carmilla and I hear a muttered, “Oh Dear,” from Perry. 

With the exception of the laughter from Carmilla and Lafontaine that even Perry’s best glare can’t seem to discourage, the room is silent. 

Sam looks thoroughly embarrassed but clears his throat and tries again, “I think I’ve somewhat established who I am, may I ask your name? I imagine it’s not ‘Gigantor’ as my sister so eloquently put it earlier,” 

“I’m Danny,”   
Taking a step forward Danny reaches her hand out to shake Sam’s, who stares at it for a moment before shaking his head and reaching out his own hand.   
“It’s nice to meet you,” Danny adds on as Kirsch takes a step forward. 

“The name’s Kirsch,”   
At the sudden interruption Danny and Sam drop hands as Kirsch positions himself slightly in front of Danny and almost shoves his hand at Sam. 

“A pleasure I’m sure,” Sam replies politely to which Carmilla pipes up,  
“Nope.” 

Sam reaches to shake the outstretched hand and it looks like Kirsch is trying to add a little extra pressure to the shake, likely not realizing just how outmatched he is. Sam’s lips quirk as he barely moves a finger and Kirsch lets out a pained breath before pulling his hand back. Clearly annoyed at Kirsch’s macho behaviour Danny shoves him to the side where he returns to nursing his hot chocolate, as Perry moves to fuss over his hand. 

“Now Danny, I do hope you’ll accept my sincerest apologies,” Sam starts but Danny looks at him in confusion.  
“What are you apologizing for?” Danny asks with a tilt of her head.  
“All of this ‘creeper’ business, it seems I’ve caused quite a disruption,”  
“Oh, that. It’s totally fine, although maybe you could explain why we are all just now learning of another Karnstein vampire on campus?” 

“Sorry, Clifford, but we just finished story time and I for one would rather not go into those details again tonight,” Carmilla cuts in before Sam can speak.  
“Right, okay. Um, maybe you could fill me in somewhere else. Maybe grab a coffee or something?” Danny looks to Sam with hopeful eyes and Sam’s face lights up with a smile that is near identical to the rare few I have seen Carmilla display.   
“I think I might like that very much,” Sam replies and Kirsch steps forward between the two once more.  
“That’s a great idea, I could totally go for a coffee,”   
Danny glares at Kirsch but Sam replies with a polite, slightly annoyed tone, “Of course, shall we go then?” 

With that, Danny, Kirsch, and Sam shuffle out of the room and Carmilla turns to me, “Alright, I know it’s been awhile since I last saw my brother but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him quite that dopey before,”  
“I think it’s kinda cute, and it'll do Danny some good. You never know, maybe Kirsch will gain some sense and finally tell Danny how he feels about her,"   
"Unlikely, Beefcake will sooner dial up the macho meter and try and win her affections like a prize,"   
I wrinkle up my nose a little bit at the thought but I have to agree with Carmilla on that one.   
"Cupcake, you know how I feel about that bunched up little face of yours,"  
"Yeah, yeah. So anyway, are we not going to talk about how adorable Little Sis Carmilla is when the older sibling isn't trying to kill me?"  
"I am not adorable, I am the night. Or something as equally intimidating," Carmilla grumbles and I giggle at the pout that forms.   
"Though, I will admit that Mattie and Sam are very different people. They represent two very different parts of myself,”   
“It must be good to have him back though, right? I mean, I don’t really have any siblings to compare it to, but it must be good to have him back after all of this time,”   
“Good doesn’t begin to explain it, my entire human life was spent with Miricas. I felt like I had lost a part of me when I lost him, and to know that I have him back. It’s indescribable, it really is,”   
“I’m happy for you, Carm. Sam seems like a really nice guy,”   
“I dare say that this unexpected surprise has probably derailed our plans just enough to stay in tonight. I’m thinking cocoa, yellow pillow, and snuggles. What do you think, Cupcake?” Carm suggests, wrapping her arms around my waist and pulling me in to rest her chin on top of my head.  
“I think your sappy, romantic side is showing,” I respond and she pulls back to roll her eyes before moving to start on the cocoa.


End file.
